Abstract

Majority of the species belonging to Solencoceridae family occur in offshore,
deeper waters and were earlier caught by exploratory surveys. Since fishing in
deeper waters started during the last 25 years, species belonging to the family
became a regular fishery in many parts of the world.
Rostrum relatively short, strongly compressed laterally, and armed only with
dorsal teeth. Postorbital, antennal, and hepatic spines present; pterygostomian or
branchiostegal spines present or absent. Cervical sulcus long, reaching, or almost
reaching, mid-dorsum of carapace; hepatic sulcus well marked. Abdomen is carinate
dorsally. Telson with median sulcus, and usually with conspicuous pair of fixed
lateral spines, occasionally lacking spines. Prosartemais present. Antennular flagella
longer than carapace, lamellate, broad ventral pair forming trough covered by
narrower dorsal flagella, four together constituting a respiratory siphon. Mandibular
palp is two-segmented, distal segment sub-triangular. First maxilla is with unsegmented
palp. First pereiopod with spine on basis and ischium; second pereiopod
usually armed with spine on basis.